Mind & Soul Travel Guide 2: Built for Adventure

By Paul Whetham

Just when you think it’s game over – it’s game on! In this 2nd mind & soul travel guide Dr Whetham encourages you to move out of your comfort zone and to go deeper into mystery and meaning. He suggests that Plan B adventure is when things go right – not wrong! We are all built for adventure. Join us for a real journey

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soul Food Cafe
• Release date: Feb 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9780994233035

Paul Whetham

Dr Paul Whetham is a clinical psychologist who has over 30 years' experience in mental and spiritual health. He is passionate about authentic spiritual experiences and is the co-founder of Soul Food Café.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Built for Adventure encourages you to move out of your comfort zone and to go deeper into mystery and meaning.

It draws on personal insights and psychological research to explore mental and spiritual health. It argues that Plan B adventure is when things go right - not wrong!

Built for Adventure is divided into three parts.

Part I uncovers truth. It looks at the invitation to adventure and then looks at the bucket list. That is, all those things that people want to do before they die. It notes that one of life’s greatest adventures often goes unmentioned - our rich, mysterious, unpredictable relationships with one another.

Part II recovers life. It draws on psychological research as well as personal insights to give us a bigger picture of how we can develop our mental and spiritual health through authentic relationships. It describes how we all need to make sense of our world and how dialogue is crucial for the process of meaning-making.

Part III explores how we can take the leap of faith from cruise liner to lifeboat and go deeper into our relationships with God, and one another.

So, what’s it to be?

Cruise liner or lifeboat?

Steady as she goes or a wild journey of discovery?

Read on. The choice is yours!

PART I:

Uncover Truth

"If you want to build a ship,

don’t drum up the men to gather wood,

divide the work and give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearn

for the vast and endless sea."

- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

1.TAKE NO PASSENGERS

More than 30 years ago I saved up for the trip of a life time - a European bus tour which included a five day cruise sailing around a Greek Island.

Being a land lover I liked the idea of a time limited gentle cruise on the Mediterranean.

However, the idea of a sea adventure and the reality of it were far apart.

I soon realised that I was looking for a smooth sailing adventure on a stable cruise liner, not a stormy weather adventure on a small, unstable sailing boat.

Catching the cruise liner from the Italian mainland to Corfu was heaven. This was an opportunity to relax, catch up with myself and fellow travellers, and watch the world go by.

However, the next day things changed dramatically.

We assembled at the Corfu marina to be greeted by our host, five 27 foot sailing boats and howling winds.

I thought to myself, this is strange, five boats and only one crew.

I soon realised we, the twenty-five people in the tour group, were to be crew.

Right then said the host who’s sailed a boat before? - no reply.

OK, who’s a really strong swimmer? - still no reply.

OK, who can swim? - myself and three others reluctantly put up our hands.

"Right then, you four are the captains with me and the rest of you are crew.

Here are your life jackets - get ready for your sailing adventure."

People were then assigned to the five boats and the captains given a briefing - and I do mean brief.

(Note: This tour operated many years ago and would not be allowed today given strict liability insurance guidelines.)

I had trouble listening to instructions.

I was thinking to myself, "This isn’t a cruise. This won’t be smooth sailing.

There’s a storm out there!"

I can remember mentioning my concerns about the weather.

Our host said, Yes, unfortunately these winds are very strong but you’ll be sailors by the time we finish.

I admired the faith he put in us but I was torn.

Part of me wanted to retreat to the comfort of being a passenger in cruise control (Plan A).

However, the other part wanted to be a crew member on a sailing boat (Plan B).

The responsibility associated with real adventure was daunting and so too was the wind.

Once we cleared the heads we were going with the wind at full force.

Our boat started to steer off course and lost contact with the other four boats.

The wind was too hard to handle and the boat impossible to turn.

We almost touched the coast of Albania.

The crew were pleading with me that something was wrong and that we were about to die.

I insisted I was tacking with the wind as per instructions.

We used every muscle of our bodies to hang on for our lives.

This small boat adventure was such a contrast to that of the big cruise liner - almost opposite.

We finally arrived at our first Greek port an hour or so after the other boats.

I was immensely proud to survive the first day of our sailing adventure with both boat and crew intact.

We arrived to a heroes’ welcome.

However, I noticed everyone was cheering except our host.

He was frowning and made a bee-line straight for me.

What were you trying to do out there? he yelled.

Tacking with the wind like you told me to I replied.

My body pumped with adrenaline I said, "It was truly awesome how the

boat tilted like that".

He snapped back "Bloody hell, you were supposed to tack into the wind - not with it!

You should’ve let out the main sail and used it like a spinnaker"

(I honestly must have missed that bit).

He kept banging on.

I can’t believe you did that.

You almost tipped her over and put the lives of the crew at risk!

After a few glasses of Ouzo, he calmed